This year is the 30th anniversary for National Night Out, making Tuesday evening the 31st annual event. The celebration is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch.

National Coordinator Matt Peskin said of the local neighborhood and town events, "most of them are in the shape of block parties, cookouts, parades, festivals."

Peskin said the concept started as a "take back the streets" effort by NATW. He said social media has helped spread the word for what has evolved into solid police-community partnerships, with neighborhood camaraderie as a key ingredient.

"Every year we get a lot of new ones," Peskin said. "So it's great. I mean, it's a great thing to watch grow."

More than 260 New Jersey cities and towns will hold a National Night Out celebration on Tuesday.

The National Night Out effort has also grown beyond our borders. According to NATW, almost 38 million people in the United States, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world will participate.